Re: First Thing's First [HERB TRAINING EVENT: FIRST AID]
WE'LL BUILD A FIRE IN YOUR EYES
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SALAMANDERPAW . 10 MOONS . SHE/HER . RIVERCLAN
Soooo...looks like she greatly overestimated the significance of the herbs being yellow. Which is fine. Probably the kind of mistake anyone would make, except all the cats who guessed about in fection and wound up being right. Tch. Whatever, they all just got lucky probably. So, okay, that's what marigolds do. They go in fections and fight—something. Salamanderpaw grimaces. She doesn't want anything inside of her to fight, that sounds...really super nasty and unpleasant, like eating bad prey. She'll take care of all the fighting out here, thanks.
It's as Salamanderpaw is about to bail on this lesson before it gets any weirder or grosser or harder to follow that Berryshine takes time to answer Seapaw's very good question. Oh. An infection is a thing. Kind of. No more or less than a sickness is a thing, since they sound like the same kind of thing, only maybe infection happens just when you're hurt? Like your wound makes you sick on top of being a wound, which is already bad enough. Eugh, how awful. Salamanderpaw pays close attention to the marigold when it's her turn to see it, then passes it along to the next cat.
Then it's time for Berryshine's demonstration. This part is pretty exciting, since they get to pretend Berryshine's got a fresh war-wound which is totally hardcore, but the first aid portion is tough to follow. So, okay. First moss, then marigold (after you chew it up), then cobwebs. You sop up the bleeding, put the mushy marigold in (poultice, oh what the heck ever, medicine cats make too many weird words up) and then keep it in there by webbing it up. That's a lot to have to remember. Salamanderpaw wonders if a medicine cat has ever accidentally done the steps out of order, but she tries to ask a more productive question than that:
"What, uh, what happens if they just keep bleeding and the webs fall off and all the stuff comes out? Do you just like...try again?"
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Re: First Thing's First [HERB TRAINING EVENT: FIRST AID]
— Fawnpaws ears flick as she listens intently, blue eyes fluttering from one curious cat back to Miss Berryshine. The apprentice nods quietly, before nervously standing up and mewing, ”W-what happens if the poll..poult..wound dressing is rubbed off, Miss Berryshine? Will the infection.. continue?” The question is heavily laced with curiosity, and she sits back down, wondering if it was common sense to already know.
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Re: First Thing's First [HERB TRAINING EVENT: FIRST AID]
Whisperingpaw blinked in surprise when Berryshine glanced at her. She felt...somewhat comforted that the medicine cat had looked her way. As though acknowledging her, or encouraging her. She watched attentively as Berryshine demonstrated the poultice, eyes widened in awe and interest. She didn't realize that she was nodding her head slightly, taking it all in. "Do...do all herbs f-for wounds get turned into...a poultice?" She asked, her voice still timid and soft, though there was a little more strength there now. She was entirely focused on Berryshine, not at all on the fact that there other cats around her. "A-And what's a...cleaning herb?" She asked, looking up at Berryshine with her head slightly tilted to the side.
Berryshine was pleased to see most cats nodding, although some looked lost; that was understandable. It was a lot to learn, and keeping up to remember all the steps of first aid after seeing them only once would be hard. She was sure that the cats who'd gotten wounds treated before probably had a better time remembering, perhaps recalling the times they'd been treated by her.
"I-I know, it's a lot to remember... but that's why you have me to come to w-when a cat gets hurt," she purred encouragingly to her Clanmates, especially those that looked a little lost. "But it's good to know some basics, in case I can't be there right away."
A little kit, Copperkit [ @Copperfox ], then padded up. The medicine cat gave a soft chuckle, gently resting her tail on her shoulder. "S-Sorry, little one... this event is for apprentices and up, only. B-But you're more than welcome to come visit me o-once you're apprenticed to learn, okay?" Berryshine gave a soft smile to Copperkit; first-aid was a lot, and would likely go far over the little ones' heads.
She waited another moment, whiskers twitching as she watched the realization process and the questions start to roll in. First, Salamanderpaw with a... rather practical question. Berryshine gave an almost sheepish half-smile and nodded in confirmation.
"Y-Yes... we would, essentially, 'try again'. That's why it's very important to try and stop the bleeding as much a-as possible before doing anything else, or else you risk wasting the herbs." She blinked, eyes narrowing slightly as if remembering a particular instance, her words a bit solemn. "W-With some wounds, your only priority—at least, at first—would be stopping the bleeding completely. Before that happens, there isn't much else you can do. N-No matter how many herbs you use to clean a wound, losing t-too much blood will still kill a cat."
Then, Fawnpaw; Berryshine's green gaze flitted over to the nervous apprentice, giving her an encouraging nod for the question. She liked when they weren't too afraid to ask; it confirmed that they were listening and thinking logically about the process, like any good apprentice should. "T-That's a good question, too, Fawnpaw. That's why I emphasized the cobwebs at the end; they're there to help keep the dressing on there as much as possible." The medicine cat flicked her tail to the sticky cobwebs she'd applied to her own fur over the marigold dressing, helping hold it against the imaginary wound on her leg. "There is a possibility of the poultice coming off anyway, which leaves a cat susceptible to infection. T-That just means that there's a possibility they can get it anyway... not a guarantee. N-Not all wounds, treated or not, get infections. Rather, marigold is preventative... meaning we a-apply it before a wound is infected so as to stop any fever from appearing. If infection occurs anyway, o-or if the poultice somehow rubs off, there are treatments we have for once the fever sets in."
She paused another moment, gaze sweeping the assembled cats... and then Whisperingpaw spoke up. It made the medicine cat's heart warm a bit to see the minute ways in which the young apprentice seemed to strengthen her voice a bit, as if encouraged by Berryshine's nonverbal encouragement. She listened patiently as the apprentice spoke, holding her gaze with a warm look until she finished, giving a soft smile. "Not all herbs do — some are used or eaten as they are. Different herbs t-treat different aspects of a wound or body — such as poppy seeds, which I-I know some of you have eaten before. Those aren't put into a poultice; rather, they're eaten for pain. Other herbs are needed to be used in different ways... i-it's part of what makes my job so important, having to remember what does what."
Ah, and the second half of Whisperingpaw's question made a perfect segue into the next herb! Nodding in approval, Berryshine flicked her tail to the goldenrod before her. "Cleaning herbs a-are those, like marigold, that help get any bad stuff out of a wound so that things like infection don't set it while the open wound is vulnerable and takes time to heal. Like, for example... goldenrod." She pushed it forward so the cats could pass it around, getting a good sniff. She stifled a faint purr of amusement as she added, "D-Don't stick your nose too far into it. Can make you sneeze for the rest of the day." She knew that from experience, heh.
As it was passed, she spoke slowly, hoping the cats were starting to catch on. If not, hopefully they'd at least remember some details here or there; something was better than nothing. "G-Goldenrod is another herb I chew into poultices to clean a wound. I might u-use it for less severe wounds or those that are less likely to cause infections. I-It doesn't have as many preventative properties as marigold, s-so it's not as strong as the other, but it's plentiful and very helpful still."
Berryshine paused once more for any questions, eyes twinkling from the joys of teaching. Her anxiety at having all eyes on her was slowly easing as she stayed confident in the one craft she was meant to do; it was a rare time of seeing the jumpy, nimble she-cat relatively calm and easygoing, if not knowledgeable and sure of herself. There were a few others that padded up late, which she gave a small nod of greeting to.
Re: First Thing's First [HERB TRAINING EVENT: FIRST AID]
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
